Fluorescence-based assays are widely used in scientific research and clinical pathology. Generally, fluorescence-based assays involve a detection reagent which is labeled with a fluorescent dye. The detection reagent is applied to an experimental sample, excited by a light source, and the number of photons emitted by the dye is measured by a detector with appropriate filters to restrict measurement to the fluorescence emission wavelength(s). The number of detected photons (fluorescence intensity) is correlated with the abundance of the analyte in the experimental sample. However, there are complicating factors that limit the reproducibility of fluorescence-based assays between laboratories and over time, even when using standardized reagents. The number of fluorescence photons detected per excited fluorophore is affected by many confounding factors, such as the type of fluorescent dye, the configuration of the instrument, the linearity of the detector, the stability of the fluorescent dye, the age of the instrument hardware, and the buffer pH at the time of measurement.